Langoustine and Andouille Etouffee

This dish was inspired by this recipe for Shrimp Etouffee at NOLA Cuisine.  I think Danno has an incredible blog there and I want to be clear that I think it is nothing short of spectacular.  I emphasize that because I have some less-than-kind things to say later; but that’s just because I’m an asshole and I tend to be very comfortable with the feeling that whatever I think is right.

That recipe has a lot going for it: I really like the contrast between the fairly lengthy list of ingredients and the straightforward method; and the emphasis on homemade shrimp stock really caught my eye.  The mineral profile imparted by shrimp shells is a pretty unique flavor, and so calling for homemade shrimp stock will generally cause me to give a recipe the benefit of the doubt.

I guess it’s ironic that ultimately, I didn’t use shrimp and didn’t make my own stock.  Instead we picked up some frozen langoustines at Trader Joe’s, and used some lobster Better Than Bullion.  Using the lobster base was a gamble, and I know it’s not a cool “foodie” thing to use.  But you know what?  I just can’t feel bad about making food easier and cheaper.  The combined cost of the langousintes and lobster base was less than the cost of two pounds of shrimp; skipping the raw shrimp made the whole dish a lot easier to handle; and in the end I probably shaved 90 minutes off the total prep time by simplifying that step.  The results were delicious, so I’m satisfied.

Short version: If you want to make shrimp stock, do it.  If you don’t want to bother, don’t worry about it.

One thing that bothered me about the original recipe: the measurements of the ingredients.  It lists, for example, 1/2 cup onion, 1/4 cup bell pepper, 2 tablespoons creole seasoning….  I think it’s ridiculous to write a recipe that can’t also be used as a shopping list.  It just makes hidden work for the reader/cook/whatever.

Think of it like this: you’re at the grocery store, and your goal is to get everything you need specifically for this dish.  You’re browsing the produce, and aha! the bell peppers!  You know you need 1/4 cup.  How does that translate to the pepper you’re holding in your hand?  If you’re an experienced cook, you can probably make a good guess.  If you’re not, you probably buy way more than you actually need, just to be safe.  It’s not a disaster, but I think food writers can do better for their audience.

And: creole seasoning?  WTF does that mean to the novice when they’re in the grocery store?  I did a little research and found a few recipes for creole seasoning mixes, noted their general ratios and common ingredients, and didn’t give it another thought.  But it’s stuff like this that can really leave novice cooks out in the cold: combing the spice racks in the market, searching frantically and futilely for a bottle of creole seasoning that doesn’t exist though all the necessary components are readily and cheaply available.

In short, I read the original recipe and thought it looked delicious; but I also thought it looked like the kind of etouffee a pussy would make.  That’s mean and judgemental, but it led me to invent the following, so I’m going with it.

The method here is super simple: saute, roux, liquid, add everything else, adjust seasoning, simmer.  One pot for the dish, another for the rice accompaniment.

Enough preamble; here are the goods:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1 quart hot water
• 2 tablespoons lobster soup base (Better Than Bullion is awesome)
• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 baby lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon ground fennel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• few pinches dried oregano
• 6 or so branches fresh thyme, or a few pinches dried
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Johnny’s seasoning salt, and/or plain salt, to taste
• few dashes Crystal pepper sauce
• 12 oz frozen langoustines, shells removed
• 2 andouille sausages (around 12 oz), sliced

Melt the butter in a big pot over medium heat.  Add peppers, onion, and celery.  Cook until translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add garlic, cook another minute.  Add flour and stir to mix thoroughly.  Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.  Add about 1/4 of the water, stirring briskly to form a thick paste.  Add the rest of the water stir to blend the roux into the liquid evenly.  Bring to a boil, adding more water if it’s wickedly thick; your goal should be to make it the thickness of some truly sweet gravy.  Once you’re good with the thickness, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.  Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Taste and correct seasoning as you please.  Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes, and you’re done.

This is a good dish to serve over rice.  I like boiled rice, like so:

• 2 cups medium grain rice
• 3 quarts water
• 2 dried bay leaves

Boil the water.  Add the rice and bay leaves.  Like pasta, you just have to monitor the rice for doneness.  When it’s firm but not chalky or brittle, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer and you’re done.

OK so that’s all well and good, but there is a lot of room for variance here.  A few notes:

• I bet you could cut the veggies in lots of different ways and come out with a great dish.  Maybe you want to julienne the peppers.  I’m sure it’s no big deal.
• You could probably make a great dish with several alternatives to the water + lobster base I used.  Chicken stock, veggie stock, plain water… there’s a lot going on in this dish, and that gives you a lot of room to simplify and adapt.  The lobster base turned out to be great, very similar to the mineral profile that shrimp shells add; but remember, you’re the boss.  If you just use water, it’ll mean that you’ll need to add a little more salt, but hey things are tough all over.
• Use whatever tomatoes you want.  I used romas because my wife found some good ones at the store.  I’m sure you’d be fine with canned if it came to that.  I will say that I don’t think tomato sauce would substitute well, as part of the point of the addition is the texture they give.
• Spices: follow your instincts and preferences.  If you don’t like spicy food, ditch the cayenne.  If you hate allspice, don’t use it.  Keep in mind that the listed measurements are approximate; I didn’t measure any of these precisely.  I don’t expect you to measure either.  The only advice I have is to remember that you can always add more, but you can’t take it out once you’ve added it.
• I grind my own fennel and allspice in a mortar and pestle.  No snobbery, and I’d never tell you it’s bad to use pre-ground spices.  That said, fresh-ground fennel is pretty distinctive and can give a really great edge to savory foods.  Do what seems best to you.
• When it comes to pepper sauce, I tend to stay away from Tabasco: it’s just too hot for the amount of flavor it imparts.  Instead, I lean toward Crystal or Louisiana brands.  It’s possible that I’m just a wuss, so use your own judgement.